Knife and sheath with latch means



March 1957 M. F. M UEARY 2,783,536

KNIFE'AND SHEATH WITH LATCH MEANS Fild Aug. 26, 1955 T ze b v 9 v 30 2629 mvsm'ox 1111 11110 Quea r United States Patent KNH E AND SHEATH LATCHMEANS Milton F. McQueary, Delta, Utah, assignor of one-half to James M.Boast, Vernal, Utah Application August 26, 1955, Serial No. 530,846

2 Claims. (Cl. 30151) This invention relates to a novelmeans forlatching a knife in a sheath or scabbard to effectively preventaccidental removal of the knife from the sheath or scabbard and which isso constructed that the knife can be readily removed -by merelygraspingthe knife handle without a separate operation involving thereleasing of a latch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch means which is soconstructed that the knife can be readily returned to a position withinthe sheath or scabbard and will be automatically latched againstaccidental removal.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide anovel latch for retaining a knife in a sheath or scabbard and whereinthe knife is automatically unlatched by the handle thereof beingdisplaced slightly away from the body of the wearer, preparatory towithdrawing the knife from the sheath.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel latchmeans for retaining a knife in a sheath and which will enable the knifeto be removed from the sheath as quickly as knives which are not latchedin their sheaths, and which may be as quickly and easily returned to alatched position in the sheath.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

Figure l is a rear elevational view of the knife and sheath;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along aplane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1 and showing the knife inedge elevation;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1, andshowing the knife in elevation;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed cross sectional view, takensubstantially along a plane as indicated by the line 44 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view, taken substantially alonga plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, 5 designates generally aknife and 6 designates generally a sheath or scabbard for the knife 5.The knife 5 is of the type used by sportsmen such as hunters andfishermen and includes "a handle 7 and a blade 8. The blade 8 is fixedto and extends from an end of the handle 7.

The sheath 6 is preferably formed of a substantially rigid material,preferably being molded from plastic, but may be formed of wood or othersuitable material. The sheath or scabbard 6 includes an inner or rearwall 9 and an outer or front wall 10. The walls 9 and 10 are integrallyjoined by rounded longitudinal edge portions 11 of the sheath 6, as bestseen in Figure 5. The walls 9 and 10 have lower portions disposedrelatively close together to form a bottom portion of the sheath,

designated generally 12, which is sized to relatively snugly receive theblade 8. The lower end 13 of the sheath.v 6 is open, as seen in Figure2, to permit the drainage of moisture and the escape of dirt or otherforeign mat ter from the lower sheath portion 12.

The upper portions of the walls 9 and 10 are spaced apart a greaterdistance than the lower portions of said wall to define an upper sheathportion 14 which is relatively large to accommodate the lower part ofthe handle 7, the upper part of which projects upwardly from the openupper end 15 of the sheath, when the knife 5 is in a fully appliedposition as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The upper end of the rear wall 9 extends somewhat above the level of theupper end of the front wall 10 and is provided with an upwardly openingnotch 16. A pin 17 extends lengthwise through the notch 16 and has itsends anchored in the wall 9 beyond the ends of U said notch 16.

A belt loop 20 for supporting the sheath 6 and knife 5 is preferablyformed of a strip of spring steel bent back upon itself to provide aninner wall 21 and an outer wall 22 of said loop 20. The bend 23 of theloop 20 constitutes the top portion thereof. The rear wall at of thebelt loop 20, near its lower free end, has a projection 24 extendingfrom the inner side thereof toward the outer wall 22, the terminal partof which extends through and fits loosely in an opening 25 of said wall22. Said front wall 22 of the belt loop has an extension 26 at its lowerend which is flared away from the rear wall 21. Said extension 26 has arolled end forming a barrel portion 27 which fits turnably on the pin 17and within the notch 16 for swingably attaching the scabbard 6 to saidbelt loop 20. It will be readily apparent that the front wall 22 of thebelt loop 20 may be displaced away from the rear wall 21 so that thebelt loop can be engaged downwardly over a waist engaging garment belt,not shown. The wall 22 can then be released to permit the belt loop 20to resume a closed position as illustrated in Figure 2 with theprojection 24 engaging in the opening 25, for closing the bottom of thebelt loop to prevent accidental disengagement thereof from the waistbelt to which it is applied.

The rear wall 9 has a rib 28 projecting from the inner side thereofwhich extends transversely of the scabbard 6 and is disposed in theupper scabbard portion 14 and substantially below the open top 15thereof. The rib 28 is preferably formed of steel and may be providedwith a widened base portion 29 which is molded in the rear wall 9.However, if desired, the rib 28 may be formed integral with the rearwall 9. One side of the handle 7 is provided with a transverselyextending groove 30 which is disposed to snugly receive the rib 28 whenthe knife 5 is in a fully applied position in the sheath 6, asillustrated in the drawing.

A leaf spring 31 is disposed on the inner side of the front wall 16within the upper portion 14 of the sheath 6 and longitudinally thereof.The leaf spring 31 has an integral extension at its upper end bentoutwardly and back upon itself to form a hook 32, the legs of which bearagainst the inner and outer sides of the front Wall 10 and the bend ofwhich engages over the upper edge of said front wall. The outer leg ofthe hook 32 is preferably embedded in the outer side of the front wall10 so as to be disposed flush therewith. Either or both of the legs ofthe hook 32 may be provided with prongs 33 which are struck therefromand which are embedded in said front wall 10. The leaf spring 31 isbowed longitudinally in a direction away from the front wall 10 to bearagainst a portion of the handle 7 for yieldably biasing said handletoward the rear wall 9 to retain the groove 30 of the handle inengagement with the rib 28,

I Patented Mar. 5,

of the handle 7 will be snfiicient to displace the handle; f the" Beltengaging" loop 20 and the" rearwan a dj ag iiinst the ressure ofth'e'springfiito move the- 56696 30 out etenga'geniehr with the rib' 28,so that 15%? knife "5 can then be: withdrawn in" a, conventional mannerfrom the sheath 6; It'will'also be apparent that thfop'eration can beaccomplished nearly as rapidly as the knifeconld' be removed from thesheath if no latch Hie-airs were provided; In returning the knife 5 tothe tojifompress the spring 31 until the knife 5 assumes its fatty-apneaposition as illustrated in the" drawing. When the" handle 7 is thenreleased, the spring 31 will displace the handle toward the rear wall 9so that the groove 30 thereof Will receive and engage the rib 28 to thusltirh the knife in the sheath. If' desired, theknife 5 can beniere'lyinserted into the sheath 6 and the lower portion of thehan'dle 7 byinitially engaging therib 28 will canse the handle to he" caiiimed awayfrom the rear wall 9 for compressing the spring 31 until the groove 30names aposition to" receive the rib 28, at which the spring 31 Will'displace the" handle 7 into its lat ed position of Fignres2 and 3.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated the handlej may bepressed laterally outward.

4 and-may obvionsly='l5e=-resnrted to, without departing from the spiritor scope of the invention as hereinafter defined 537th? appended"claims;

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the character described comprising a knife including ablade and a handle, a sheath for receiving said blade and a portion ofthe handle, said sheath having an inner or rear wall and a front wall, arib projecting from the inner side of said rear wall and disposedtransversely thereof, said handle having a transversely extending groovein one side thereof disposed to receive said rib when the knife is in afully applied position in the sheath, and spring means supported by'said sh'eat-hand bearingv against the. knife handle for urging. theknife handle toward the rear wall to cause the groove thereof'to engagesaid rib for latching the knife in the sheath.

2. A device as in claim 1, said spring means comprising a leaf springdisposed onthe inner side of the front wall of thes heathand spacedtherefrom, said leaf spring b'eirig longitudinally bowed away from saidfront wall.

References Cited' in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

